Improvement in tanning



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ZAGHARIAH BAKER, OF ERIE, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN TANNING.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 36,636, dated October14, 1862.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ZAOHARIAII BAKER, of Erie, in the county ofWhiteside and State of Illinois, have invented a new, useful, andimproved mode of tanning all kinds of leather quickly without the use ofbark; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, andexact description thereof.

To enable others skilled in the art to use my invention, I will proceedto describe the process.

First place the hides intended to be'tanue'd in a weak solution of saltand water, to remove the blood and dirt; second,when they are wellcleansed place them on a beam and'scrape ofl' the flesh and flakes offat; third, then to. remove the hair use half a bushel of slaked lime tothirty-two gallons of water, in which the hides are to be soaked untilthe hair is loose, then scrape 011' on a. beam; fourth, rinse off inclear water, and they are read y'for the bath, prepared as follows: Tosixty gallons of soft water add one bushel of oats and barley chopped inequal parts, and two pounds of salt, and allow the hides to remain inthe solution until perfectly limber fifth, when prepared for the tan, asabove, take equal parts of May-weed and smart-weed,in the proportion ofone pound to one gallon of water, and steep it in large vessels or alarge vat with sheet-iron bottom, and when fully steeped run the liquorinto the vats used for tanning, and to sixty gallons of this liquor addfour pounds of oxalic acid, three pounds of gum-kino, three pounds ofgum-catechu, two pounds of potash, and four pounds of red sanders;sixth, allow the hides to remain in the above compound from six totwelve days, according to situation and circumstances; seventh,whensuflicieutly tanned remove the hides and place them in clear water tosoak for twelve hours. Then place on the table and scrape off; hang upuntil halt dry; curry, stuff, and oil; hang up until dry; curry smooth,roll, black, and finish oh, and the leather is ready for use.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by letters Patent, is

The use of the oats and barley chopped (un bolted) in connection withthe salt for a bath, as combined and in the proportions set forth in myspecification, and also the use for a tanning compound composed of thesmart-weed, May-weed, oxalic acid, kino, catechu, potash, and redsanders, as combined and in the proportions substantially as set forthand mentioned in my specification.

ZACHARIAH BAKER.

Witnesses PATK. SMITH, SAMUEL BLAGG.

